


My Lover from Canis Major

by Kurtssingh



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, M/M, Minor Original Character(s), be cautious, reverse verse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:54:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 9,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24620386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kurtssingh/pseuds/Kurtssingh
Summary: Therefore, this beautiful young man walked into Obi-wan's life.
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi/Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker, Qui-Gon Jinn/Obi-Wan Kenobi
Comments: 16
Kudos: 26





	1. 01

**Author's Note:**

> Modern AU. Something might look familiar, but it just all happens in a fictional world. ;) The knowledge about geography, sports, medical science, dog training, astronomy and religion is mostly made-up.
> 
> Qui-gon Jinn, 27 years old, baseball pitcher.  
> Obi-wan Kenobi, 35 years old, sports agent.  
> Anakin Skywalker, 25 years old, biotech engineer.  
> Padme Amidala, 30 years old, dog trainer.
> 
> \----  
> Written by GWYZ  
> Translated by Kurtssingh  
> Proofread by @BrooklynSwan

“Although sometimes strife and pain are unavoidable, I still hope the people I love will eventually have a good ending.”

  
  


In an exquisite rehabilitation centre garden, a couple takes a walk, enjoying the soothing autumn scenery. They don’t need to talk very much, as long as they have each other’s company.

One of them is a well-suited man of average build, who also carries a well-crafted briefcase under one arm. He looks like that kind of person who successfully takes time out of his busy work day schedule to visit his secret lover.

The other man is tall, slim and much younger. He wears a thick gown long enough to cover the knees. He clings to the shorter man, with their hands holding tightly to each other.

Some kids who happen to come to visit their elders recognize the young man almost immediately. Their eyes brighten, they call out his name and run towards him. “Mr Qui-gon Jinn!” they ask joyfully. “Can you sign for us?” It is not a big surprise that most of them carry baseball player cards even when visiting the centre – their sporty outfits have told everything.

“Really,” the older man says, sighing. “You can never have any free time, can you?”

The young man grins slyly, takes out a marker pen and “borrows” the grumpy man's briefcase to use as a mat. “I've been practicing this a lot,” Qui-gon says. “Besides, I never refuse children's requests. You know that.” He then holds the pen with his left hand.

He signs on the cards, one by one, patiently. Qui-gon signs on T-shirts or baseball caps for those who don’t have the shining, collectible player cards. The gentle, good-tempered young man just doesn’t mind his _limited_ time being taken at all.

“Thank you! Thank you!” The kids cheer.

“When will you come back, sir?” a girl asks. Her innocent question, however, makes the man in suit frown a little as if he’s experiencing discomfort.

“Very soon. I will return to the team as fast as I can,” Qui-gon answers softly. He looks into those hopeful eyes and strokes her fuzzy head with his large hand.

“Goodbye!” After Qui-gon finishes signing for all the kids, he and his older lover both smile and wave, watching with satisfaction as the kids run away.

“You didn’t tell them the truth.” The older man mutters, switching back to his usual poker face and turning around.

The young man still wears that warm smile, but now it is unfortunately mixed with a wisp of sadness. “I’m sorry.” He seizes his right sleeve, which used to have an arm underneath it.


	2. 02

Obi-wan Kenobi comes to visit Qui-gon earlier than usual, for there is an upcoming sports conference which he cannot be absent.

Qui-gon looks exhausted, leaving his breakfast barely touched. Although the situation almost breaks Obi-wan’s heart, he chooses to say nothing and greets his dear lover with a kiss like always.

“Hey. Look what I've brought you today,” he says, replacing those get-well gifts on the desk with a carton.

Qui-gon makes efforts to buck himself up. “That's a lot of things in here!”

“I found them while packing stuff.” Obi-wan throws up his hands. “Haven't cleaned the storage for ages.”

A colour-faded baseball, a bat, gloves, medals, game cassettes and discs, diary books and several photo albums. These are enough to open a mini-museum.

A nearly-new album catches Qui-gon’s eyes. He opens it nostalgically, while Obi-wan grabs a chair and sits next to him.

Inside this very album, lies the memory of every precious detail that happened over that summer. It was three years ago that the two men decided to pack up and escape from the crowded city for a while. They crossed the forests, walked along the creeks, searched for ancient temples and long-forgotten villages. If a cabin was nowhere to be found, they simply put up a tent and slept under the Milky Way. Obi-wan took charge in photo shooting along the journey since he is a much, much better photographer than Qui-gon.

They remembered during one of the many nights, they had a brief chat about constellations.

“There are so many stars in the sky. Without the obstruction of artificial lights, they seem… so bright,” Qui-gon had admired in awe.

“There is an old saying that each star represents a man on the earth,” said Obi-wan.

“What about animals? Do animals have their own stars, too?” Qui-gon asked.

“Oh, of course.” The older man smiled.

“So, dogs do have their own stars, right?” His young lover’s eyes lit up.

By looking at Qui-gon’s beautiful and curious face, Obi-wan decided to show off his knowledge of astronomy. He narrowed his eyes and pointed to the edge of the night sky. “See? That’s Orion.” He gesticulated a vague outline. Qui-gon raised his hands to form the shape of a telescope.

“Imagine those three bright stars form Orion’s belt – now stretch a line down to the south-west, you see that dazzling blue-white one over there? It’s Sirius, the Dog Star, the brightest star of the constellation Canis Major.” Obi-wan’s fingers traced down the imaginary dog figure.

“Indeed! It does look like a dog!” Qui-gon was amazed by the creativity of the cosmos.

After the long story-telling, Obi-wan yawned and crawled his way back into the sleeping bag, leaving a weary Qui-gon gently patting him, while still thinking: _Which star represents me, then?_

The next page of the album makes Obi-wan smirk even more significantly. 

It was in this very shrine where they had pledged themselves to each other. With the blessings from a foreign language and the red thread that tied around their fingers, they took the love oath. The two followed the ancient tradition to brew the tea and drink together as a symbol of vowing and promising that they would give their hearts into each other’s keeping and that they would never abandon one another for the rest of their lives.

In front of the torii gate, stood this happy couple, one taller and one shorter, slightly tanned, both wearing the traditional kimonos and their hands clasped tightly together. They smiled as gazing into each other's eyes, affectionately.

Qui-gon picks up the detailed translated script of the fortune poem which he drew in that shrine from the album. It reminds him that they both hung up the wooden Ema plaques there, too. Qui-gon wrote that he wishes to accompany Obi-wan til the end of time, yet the older man turned his plaque over and refused to share his little secret.

“Obi, what did you wish for back then?” The young man’s curiosity is piqued once again.

“Never gonna tell you.” Obi-wan rolled his eyes. After all these years, stubbornness is not one of the things he has gotten rid of. 

“Do you know that if we both make the same wish to the Spirit God, it’ll be more efficacious?" Qui-gon smiles.

The grumpy sports agent chooses not to bite the bait.

“Still nothing?” The young lover tilts his head.

“All right then, you leave me no choice.” After making several attempts and silence is all Qui-gon can get, the beige-haired young man grins and raises his hand. Obi-wan knows the meaning of _this_ act, he immediately shakes his head like a drill.

Qui-gon pouts as if he’s angry, and then he suddenly starts to tickle the older man. “Come on, Qui! Stop acting like a child!” Obi-wan yells, blocking and dodging the “attacks.” He doesn’t dare to open his eyes until Qui-gon stops unexpectedly. The young man looks pale. He frowns, unties the gown, looks down at his chest and reveals his undershirt being slowly soaked by blood. It seems that the port catheter has accidentally torn a blood vessel.

Obi-wan presses a handkerchief over the wound to stop the bleeding, almost out of instinct. At the same time, he calls the nurses.


	3. 03

Obi-wan has got used to sleeping alone. These days, however, he can hardly get even one good night’s sleep.

He has found new talented recruits for the next season, so active player transfers and veteran retirement shouldn’t bring problems to the team.

Qui-gon’s new experimental treatment has also entered the second stage. With fewer side effects, the procedures have led the recent test results onto a somewhat satisfying track. Obi-wan even begins to consider taking him back home shortly.

Everything is going quite smoothly so far, he just doesn't understand why he still has this weird fretful feeling in the chest.

Several days later, comes a dark and stormy night, and rain buckets down like it will never stop. All the memories about Qui-gon run through Obi-wan’s mind like the montage. He remembers the sense of coup de foudre when he met this young man; he remembers how hard he tried to test if Qui-gon has feelings for him, too; he remembers how many times he asked himself to stop, but only being left to want more; he remembers they broke the rule and pledged their love in private; he remembers their first embarrassing date; he remembers those wonderful make-outs they had in the locker room; he remembers the so-called fair competition in the gym; he remembers...

Qui-gon was one of the best pitchers Obi-wan had ever encountered. Accurate and hard, he could throw a ball at the speed of almost 100 mph to give the visiting team a total surprise. He was also a decent hitter who was willing to bat a sac fly for his teammates to score a run.

They could never believe this “million dollar arm” player who had been entitled the best pitcher for multiple times had a malignant tumour hiding inside his arm.

Obi-wan wraps the blanket tightly, unable to sleep until the rain finally stops as dawn is breaking. The sky slowly turns white, birds begin to sing their various songs, and all the livings awake in the likely form of rebirth. The fatigued agent, on the other hand, falls into slumber at last.

Vaguely, a blurry, yet familiar figure walks towards Obi-wan. He bends down, brushes his lips lightly against the tiny mole on the drowsy man’s right cheek.

“My time has come,” he says, his voice deep and soothing. “I have to go now. Farewell, my love.”

Uncontrollable fear hits Obi-wan from nowhere, and he can't help but heedlessly clutch onto the air and kick his legs. “Don’t, please don’t go! Please don’t leave me alone!” Obi-wan begs desperately.

The figure continues gently kissing Obi-wan. Once, twice. “There's no need to miss me, or to grieve for me, my dearest; for I’m meant to leave eventually.” He strokes the older man’s hair. “But don't worry, I will return to you once again. It won’t take long.” He sounds relieved.

Obi-wan cries out as he wakes up. He rubs his eyes, vigilantly looks around and yet finds no one, nothing. He chugs a large cup of water, trying to calm himself down from the inexplicable anxiety.

Suddenly, his phone starts to vibrate.

And almost at the same time, a dim star silently falls from Canis Major and into this unpredictable and lonely world.


	4. 04

Cleaning dust, offering flowers, filling the altar lamp, trimming wicks.

Obi-wan has spent a year and a half to adapt these complex every-day rites. He is now able to complete them meticulously in a tranquil mood. 

Today is what they call the “Obon Festival,” a day to commemorate the dead, and Obi-wan chooses to change a new photo for the event. In the picture, his tall and young lover is holding a big dazzling trophy, looking so proud and happy. The older man traces his fingers along that beautiful face in the frame. _Qui, come back, please come back to me._ He prays softly, again and again.

In the first few months, Obi-wan had to keep together no matter how heartbroken he felt. He wiped away the tears right after Qui-gon’s memorial service, changed back to the calm, rational and somewhat cold-hearted man he used to be in front of the public.

Once finishing appeasing the discontent among fans and debilitating the negative impact on the team caused by Qui-gon’s death, Obi-wan resigned from the management firm. He had no intention of working anymore, and all he wanted was to find somewhere far away to hide from all these messes, to give himself time to heal.

He faces the flickering candlelight devoutly, folding his hands in silent prayer. All thanks to this tiny memorial niche, it has become Obi-wan’s one and the only anchor, his will to live.

  
  


Today seems no different from other ordinary days, yet Obi-wan locks the house and starts the car engine. The files on the passenger seat have shown his purpose -- he's heading to an animal adoption centre.

Don’t get him wrong, this man has no interest in getting pets. Being alone has been suiting him quite well, and he certainly doesn’t want anything or anyone to interrupt the newly found peaceful life.

However, poor Obi-wan must find a way to stop his neighbour Carol from continuing asking him to visit the animal adoption centre and get a pet. She is a warm-hearted and sweet lady, obviously, yet she is also very well-known for relentlessly recommending people to adopt animals in this block.

Just three days ago, Carol caught Obi-wan once again as soon as she saw him finally coming out of the house to collect letters. “There are lots of cute dogs and cats in that centre.” She babbled the sentences that Obi-wan had heard at least a hundred times, “Most of them had a hard time, and they really need good people’s love like yours.” The man had to nod constantly, pretending to agree with her. “You can take them outside to enjoy some fresh air and lovely sunshine. It’s good for your own health, too.”

Obi-wan could no longer stand Carol’s disappointed look every time he refused her. Since he probably must stick with this neighbour for quite some time, maybe it'll be wise for him to just accept her over-friendly invitation. _But I don’t need to implement._ Obi-wan thinks. _Yes, I’ve listened to you, and here I am. I’ve even filled out the forms. Yet unfortunately, none of them takes my fancy, I'm so sorry._ The former agent has planned what he’s going to say at the centre.


	5. 05

It takes Obi-wan some time to find the animal adoption centre that is located far away on the other side of the suburbs. Thankfully, he eventually arrives on time— the old working habit forces him not to be late on any occasion. His wait isn’t too long before he meets the manager, Sharon.

The friendly short-haired girl goes through his documents and asks him some basic questions. Obi-wan answers them honestly. She listens, nods and offers a smile.

“Please come with me, Mr. Kenobi.” With a smile, Sharon closes the documents and asks him to follow her to the dog area first.

The dogs are numbered and sorted in different zones based on body type and breed. Some are lucky enough to have the “reserved” sign under their name tags already, but the rest are still waiting for the right person to give them a new home. They come with all different personalities—quiet, loud, dull or smart. But at this moment, they all seem very curious about the new guest. They wag their tails and bark excitedly behind the fence. _Too lively, way too lively,_ Obi-wan thinks.

For some unspeakable reason, Sharon sincerely hopes Obi-wan can rehome at least one of these dogs. The moment Obi-wan stops in front of one, Sharon starts introducing the dog and telling him all the dog’s stats. The former agent can’t help but wonder: _Geez, how can she remember all of these details?_

They continue wandering around the area. Sharon patiently asks Obi-wan about his preference, yet unfortunately Obi-wan knows nothing about dog breeds, and he certainly doesn’t know how to choose, either.

_Small dogs? They seem easy to raise, but they bark a lot._

_Large dogs do look reliable, but just to think about the amount of fur they are going to leave around during seasonal shedding..._

Obi-wan has prepared countless excuses for not choosing, which upsets Sharon a bit. By running out of options, she has to “accidentally” tell Obi-wan that they have to run through some certain procedures to optimize the limited space of the centre, which means to euthanize some of the unwanted periodically. 

Obi-wan curses lightly. Sympathy rises to haunt his mind, yet this man has been spending a long time adapting his current life pace, and he definitely doesn’t want to change it again. On a whim, Obi-wan fretfully grabs a toy ball and throws it out like a baseball. 

A huge beige dog leaps from the crowd. He catches the ball in midair and lands lightly, which somehow feels mismatched with his massive size.

“Ah, this is Q,” Sharon says with a bitter smile. “He was ‘dismissed’ by the customs because he is - well - a little too playful. He wasn’t able to graduate from the therapy dog training program either. After several other attempts, he ended up here. But he is the sweetest boy I’ve ever met.”

Q carries the ball in his mouth, runs towards Obi-wan and put it down in front of him. The dog raises his head, throws out his chest proudly, and barks for praise. 

“You need to pat him now, or he’ll be very displeased,” the girl explains.

Obi-wan rolls his eyes, reaches out his hand and caresses Q’s back slightly. His fur is soft, almost silk-like.

“What’s his breed? How old is he?” He asks casually.

“He’s a hybrid, more of a Berner though. He’s only a year and a half.” Sharon picks up the ball and throws it to the distance. Q darts after it.

After carrying the toy ball back this time, Q seems to have more interest in this new guest with dark blonde hair. He leaves the ball aside, sniffs at Obi-wan thoroughly and then starts to lick his palm. Its tail sweeps the floor, happily making some noise. 

“Oh look, he likes you a lot.” Sharon chuckles. “Like he’s _bonded_ with you.” _There could be hope for Q yet._

Obi-wan says nothing.

“He’s very suitable for the neighbourhood you live in. You two seem a perfect match here,” she states.

The well-suited man does not accept or refuse.

Not sure whether Obi-wan is considering it or not, Sharon keeps going: “He’s clean and he’s not a big shedder. He’s potty-trained and he doesn’t bite or roughhouse. He’s such a chill, relaxed dog.”

“Fine, fine! Q it is! I’ll take him,” Obi-wan yields. Raising dogs could be merely a piece of cake compared to negotiating player contracts; besides, he might have also saved a life. He doesn’t want to see more lives being lost at his hand.

Soon, documents are filled out, adoption certificates are given, and a How-to-Raise-A-Dog-101 booklet is received. After confirming Q has been vaccinated and microchipped, Obi-wan pays all the fees.

Sharon puts a collar with the pattern of four-leaf clovers on Q, hoping that he will be lucky from now on—he probably is. The girl strokes the fur around Q’s neck and smiles gratefully: “Be a good boy this time, Q. Don’t let your new owner down.” The dog nods as if he understands.

“All right then!” Sharon takes out the instant camera. “Say cheers, both of you!”

In the picture, Q, ever the good boy, swipes Obi-wan’s face with his big, wet tongue.


	6. 06

Carol hears the doorbell and opens the gate. She enters the garden hastily, followed by four of her cute little puppies.

There, she sees her grumpy neighbour Obi-wan standing in the middle, holding a leash awkwardly. Beside him sits a big dog with a sweet face. “Congratulations,” the man says, shrugging and laughing as soon as he spots her. “You’ve won.”

“Oh my, you’ve finally decided!” Carol covers her mouth in pleasant surprise. “I’m so happy for you!”

“Hm. So um, this is Q.” Obi-wan introduces.

“He’s gorgeous! Such a beautiful boy, isn’t he?” She fondles Q’s forehead and chin, making him let out a contented huff. Q nuzzles up against Obi-wan’s leg, meaning he understands her compliment and absolutely loves it. Soon the young dog is distracted by Carol’s curious puppies; they sniff at one another to get to know each other.

“They will become good friends,” Carol says, looking gratified. Later on, she invites Obi-wan to her house and prepares some home-made desserts for him. The kind lady shares the knowledge of raising large dogs such as the frequency of dog walks, the importance of a balanced diet, bad behaviour corrections, and how to make them adapt to a new environment quickly. While she talks, she packs some formula treats, dental sticks and a couple of toys.

“I know you didn’t have enough time to get these today. But don’t worry, I have enough to spare.” Carol winks and hands him over the bag of goodies.

“That’s very kind of you.” Obi-wan takes out his wallet. “How much do I owe you?”

“There’s no need to do that.” Carol shakes her head gently to stop the man. “Every dog is a lost treasure that falls from the sky. If you do want to repay me, please just to remember to cherish every moment with him. That’s all.” She smiles.

“Here we are,” Obi-wan says, flicking on the light and air conditioner. He loosens the dog leash and is ready to let Q familiarize the home layout. “Entryway, living room, toilet, kitchen. We’ve got two bedrooms on the second floor. Also a study, a home gym, and a bathroom.” He gesticulates unmindfully.

Q doesn’t seem shy or anxious. He simply follows his master, sniffs and looks around every room, almost like these places are not unfamiliar to him, at all.

When they walk pass by Qui-gon’s memorial niche, Q stops. He looks up, checking at the items, and then turns to Obi-wan.

“Oh hey!” Obi-wan quickly steps up nervously and stands in front of the niche. “You are not allowed to touch any of the items here.” He sounds resolute. “In fact, you can’t go anywhere near here. Got it?” He uses his arms to create a big no-no cross.

Q whimpers. He tilts his head, gazes at Obi-wan as if he understands why this man is so overly-protective of this particular corner. Those bright round eyes are able to look through this man’s well-hiddenly broken heart.

Obi-wan has been a vegetarian for a long time. Although right now it’s a lot later than his usual dinner time, he still manages to make some simple stir-fry dishes by using okra, eggplant, wakame and tofu. He digs up another two large bowls from the cabinet, puts them on the floor, then pours clean water and formula food in each.

He looks at Q, and Q looks back.

After dinner prayers, they both start eating silently.

Tonight by the dinner table, Obi-wan still sits alone. But he does not eat alone, not anymore.


	7. 07

Q needs a place to rest. Obi-wan ponders, then takes out some of Qui-gon’s used pillows and wraps them up with the old T-shirts that also once belonged to the young man — the former agent probably doesn’t even know why he came up with such an idea. He puts down these pillows on the carpet right beside his own bed. 

“This is your bed, Q. Come and sleep.” Obi-wan pats the pillows to call over his new “roommate.” Q approaches, sniffs at the old stuff and lies down in peace. He comfortably curls himself up while Obi-wan covers him with another T-shirt in case he doesn’t catch a cold under the air conditioner.

“Good night.” The former agent shuts the light and puts on a blanket.

Something — or someone rests a gentle kiss on Obi-wan’s forehead. A little bit wet, too.

“Stop it... I’m sleeping...” The man mutters under his breath, burrowing his face into the blanket.

The shadowy figure does not respond. Instead, he drags the blanket away and continues placing playful smooches on the man’s cheek, ear and neck.

Obi-wan moans softly, enjoying the pleasant sensation of being tenderly caressed. Something which has been locked up for a long time is awakened by his deepest subconsciousness. Through the pyjama pants, the anonymous being touches the sensitive arousing member between Obi-wan’s legs.

Now the man has no intention to sleep anymore. He almost bounces out of bed to look for that —

It is Qui-gon. He is quietly sitting by the edge of the bed, eyes full of smiles, gazing upon the man who is still in shock. His half long beige-coloured hair nestles against the nape like always, toned muscle looming under a vintage T-shirt. He reaches out his both arms and pulls Obi-wan into a warm embrace.

He’s here — Obi-wan’s one and the only lover, Obi-wan’s tall and strong and almost perfect lover. The white moonlight shrouds the young man, giving him a faint aura, a sacred look. “You have come back,” he cradles Qui-gon’s face, voices shivers. “You have come back to me.” He watches the young man closely, worries this can be all but his hallucination.

Qui-gon holds Obi-wan close and nuzzles his hair. “You think about me every day, and you talk to me every day,” he mumbles in a soft tone. “Thus I’m here, for all the wishes you’ve made.”

“Then I will make another million wishes so that you can never leave me ever again. “Obi-wan buries his face against the young man’s chest, grunting.

“Oh, I’m going nowhere,” Qui-gon giggles. “I’ll always be here. With you.”

_Laugh as much as you want, jerk. Where the heck were you when I was crying? You ignored my agony and sorrow_ _and now you just appear_ _like_ _I’ve never suffered?_

At the thought of this point, Obi-wan pushes Qui-gon down, pins his young lover to the bed and kisses back intensely. It’s time for “revenge.”

The next morning Obi-wan feels like he was ground by a train, as every inch of his muscles is filled with soreness. He groans, opens his eyes and suddenly finds himself face-to-face with Q, who is licking his face and staring at him eagerly. _This little bastard dares to jump onto my bed_ — onto me _!_

The exhausted man pushes Q away and tries to get up. Still, the energetic little guy keeps pouncing, as if he’s saying something like “Let’s go outside and play!” which finally reminds Obi-wan that Carol said he has to walk Q every morning or he might urinate in the house. _He might WHAT in the HOUSE?_ The man gasps in terror, rubs his head painfully, grabs a cleaning bag together with the leash and rushes out of the house with Q.

He doesn’t brush the teeth, shave, style his hair, or even pray for the first time ever.

After passing water, Q pulls Obi-wan excitedly all the way along the street. The man has to follow, running and stumbling after him like a bobblehead. Usually humans have two hundred and six bones, but Obi-wan swears that he now has two thousand and sixty all thanks to Q.

The neighbours down the block though are in great surprise. They’ve never seen Obi-wan showing up this early, or him without grooming, or him with a big dog. They greet him one by one, and Obi-wan replies as if he is possessed by a repeater.

_Now that_ _’_ _s a new look on him._

Q is curious about everything. He dashes around, chases other dogs and butterflies, chews on grass and flowers. He doesn’t stop running until he and Obi-wan both start panting heavily — and his poor human master definitely needs an inhaler.

A bee covered in pollen decides to take a short break on the top of Q’s nose. The young dog is confused by its sudden act and even stops wagging the tail. He peers piteously at Obi-wan for help. _Master, what should I do?_

As soon as Obi-wan sighs and is about to shoo the invasive visitor away, Q sneezes. The bee finishes teasing and flies away. Once the “crisis” ends, Q walks briskly towards the garden fountain to lap the water with his pink tongue curled, like nothing ever happened. Obi-wan finally has a chance to sit along the fountain edge to catch his breath.

A moment of peace makes Obi-wan start to recall last night. O _f course it was a dream._ He buries his face in the hands.

Obi-wan raised his head once again and sees Q looking at him with a look of concern. He gives a bittersweet smile, reaches out one hand and strokes the dog’s fur lightly.


	8. 08

Q has been with Obi-wan for a couple of months. He is energetic and enthusiastic and never loses his heart. He gets back up when he falls, rarely feel ashamed or pessimistic.

This “silly” positive companion affects and changes the melancholy Obi-wan from all aspects. The man’s wounds are slowly being healed, and a trace of warm light can be occasionally seen in his smiles.

Today, the rain falls mostly in a drizzle. Obi-wan and Q stay at home, playing the baseball world cup on TV as ambient noise. Q, however, sits in front of the television screen, totally concentrating on the game—it’s not noise for him--it’s his favourite.

The pitcher throws a curveball at a tricky angle. _A strikeout!_ Q wags his tail intensely. As the pitcher seems to completely dominate the batter this time, he confidently keeps attacking until he racks up three strikes and leads the batter to the unfortunate out. The defence and the offence thus switch. Q barks at the screen with excitement.

Obi-wan, at the same time, is busy in the kitchen, studying the pet-friendly recipes shared by Carol on her web page the other day. He is trying to bake some meat pies for her as an appreciation gift. Q will be the “honoured guest” to sample the crafts.

The man prepares some ground beef, oatmeal and corn and then takes out the blender, which has been left in dust for ages since Qui-gon stopped taking protein shakes.

The phone ring stops Obi-wan from continuing his works. He washes hands, walks over and picks up the phone. “Hello?”

“Greetings. Is this Mr. Obi-wan Kenobi?” It’s a young man’s voice.

“Yes,” Obi-wan answers. “Who’s speaking?”

“It’s Anakin Skywalker, director of Skywalker Tech Studios. I wonder if you still remember that you ordered one of our products years ago?”

Obi-wan has entirely intentionally forgotten about it, yet now this young man is inadvertently peeling off the scar on his semi-recovered heart, to force him to remember. “Yes, I remember. And?” Obi-wan tries to keep a stiff upper lip.

“According to the contracts, items need to be delivered strictly before the deadline. Unfortunately, our product development is slightly behind schedule due to some minor technical issues,” Anakin says, apologetic.

Somehow, Obi-wan doesn’t know what to say next. He was an excellent sports agent who always spoke eloquently. But in fact, he was—he is never good at revealing his real feelings or thoughts. Qui-gon was the only one that he opened a door for, and he now has shut it, probably even locked it. _Qui. Oh Qui. You should have waited for just a few more days._ His mind tranced.

“Mr. Kenobi, if you have other ideas for our contracts such as asking for partial refund, it’s fully understandable.” The young man sounds off put as he receives no response from the other end at all. “And since you paid in full without deposit, we must find you for further handling process. We have tried to reach you several times, but you changed your number.”

The man is still drowned in silence.

“Luckily, I found your property manager and got your new number,” Anakin continues. “Please give me a formal response as soon as possible.”

Obi-wan finally starts talking after his long stretch of quiet. “Tomorrow morning, at ten. Sound okay to you?” Although there are many reasons he doesn’t want to go, there is one that he cannot refuse: that product belongs to Qui-gon. 

“Ten? Y-yes, sure!” It takes the young man a few seconds to react—as though he thought the older man would stay silent for the rest of the conversation.

“I will send you the address soon,” Obi-wan says, speaking like an agent.

“I’m looking forward to our meet then, Mr. Kenobi.” He hangs up.

Anakin Skywalker is a rising star in the biotech field, whom Obi-wan had visited several times. Wealthy and youth construct his ambitious characteristics, as he is called “the crazy adventurer.” The young man indulges himself in cutting-edge technology and creative inventions, never bowing down to ideas only—he makes ideas come true.

When Qui-gon’s amputation surgery was finished, the once jolly man became so depressed that he could not accept the hard truth. Obi-wan worried about his mental status, so he had to seek something as quickly as possible to distract, to cheer up his young lover.

He read an article somewhere of the collaboration among Skywalker Tech Studios and some other top-ranked medical institutes, about them developing revolutionary prosthetics. Although only simple prototypes and partial patents were displayed at the time, Obi-wan saw the great potential. He soon encouraged Qui-gon to participate in the project experiments, actively provided valuable feedback and suggestions. Gradually, both men had developed high hopes for this. 

Many have doubted the possibility to achieve the goal in such limited time, but Anakin’s team did not _entirely_ disappoint the world. They kept testing and developing, and in the end, they did make it come true.


	9. 09

Obi-wan calls Anakin while quickly walking towards the destination they have decided upon. 

“Yes, I’m here already.” The slim young man waits outside the café, answering the phone. There is a metal suitcase lying beside him.

As soon as Obi-wan arrives, he greets Anakin by shaking his hand. “Hello.”

The young man accepts his welcome and smiles shyly. “Let’s go inside and have a chat.” He picks up the suitcase.

It’s almost been three years since Obi-wan saw Anakin Skywalker last. His skin tone is fairer than what Obi-wan could recall, and that pair of thin round frame glasses gives him a scent of gentle bookishness, which makes a significant comparison in how he is described in the news or magazines.

As the two sit in the private room, Anakin opens the suitcase.

Inside the suitcase, it’s the stunning rose-gold prosthetic arm with the plating team logo, which is wholly custom-designed for Qui-gon, spending years of painstaking care by Anakin’s team.

Anakin coughs lightly, opens his laptop and starts to introduce the project like he always does in front of his customers:

_Made with alloys that contain mainly nitinol and duralumin, and soft materials have been applied to the junction. The overall weight is yet a crème de la crème._

_Securely fixed while installed, fast and straightforward uninstallation while unneeded. The user will find no frozen or locked-up experiences during usage._

_The anti-collision system will avoid all sorts of accidental deforming or bending._

_The neural simulation chip will allow the user to feel temperature and tactility._

_Real-time data analysis synced with the Cloud._

_Custom expansion or upgrade modules spaces available._

_In-built solar charger designed for major endurance._

_The waterproof and antifouling techniques allow the user to spend less time in maintenance._

As fluent as Anakin is, he completely neglects Obi-wan’s reddening orbit. Once he finally notices that he has made a huge mistake, he stops his normal, formal presentation immediately. It’s certainly not a wise act to treat this former sports agent like any other regular customer.

“I-I’m so sorry,” Anakin apologises. “I didn’t mean it.”

Obi-wan waves his hands vaguely to mean it’s okay. Then they both have to awkwardly look at the expensive, dedicated prosthetic arm, which probably has no use for them anymore.

“I - will allow it to be donated.” Obi-wan reaches to the contract files. As he is now sitting in front of the product he was about to take away, he realises he cannot even face it—the surge of grief is too overwhelming. But then again, he also believes that the good-hearted Qui-gon will do the same.

“But to where? And to whom?” Anakin questions straightforwardly.

“I happen to know some people who work in different hospitals. I believe they can provide me with some good suggestions.” Obi-wan said.

“Thank God!” The young man sighs in relief. “That sounds like a fantastic idea.” He picks up the files swiftly and is ready to leave.

“Not so fast, smart guy.” Obi-wan rolls his eyes and stops the curly-haired man by grabbing his collar. “You are coming with me, too.” There’s no way Obi-wan can easily let go of the person who almost made him cry in public.

In the following weeks, they run around, visiting hospitals and rehabilitation centres throughout the city. The unexpectedly high demand for prosthetics in this area _only_ gives them a whole new perspective of the world. They see people who had been struggled with living and are now falling into far worse situations because of accidents or diseases.

Most of the people still use traditional mobility aids like simple crutches or split hooks to overcome the inconveniences in their daily lives. So when Anakin brings his product to doctors and patients, they all show great surprise and admiration, but at the same time worrying about its future: it does not seem affordable to everyone.

Nevertheless, a free donation is what they are focusing on right now. Based on height, weight, and arm length, Obi-wan has found nine male and two female candidates who really could use a helping hand. _Sam, who lost his arm for being trapped in machinery; Claire, who had to give up one of her arms because of toxemia._ He and Anakin decide to stop going through these heart-breaking documents and use a random number generator. 

The seventh candidate Johanna becomes the lucky one. The next day, this single mother, together with her kids arrives at the studio early and with great excitement. After a few tests and adjustments provided by Anakin, Johanna is able to pick up the target orange from the floor easily with no problem by using the new arm. Her kids cheer, and the two men clap. The woman bursts into tears, holds Obi-wan and Anakin tightly and kiss them over and over. “You both are my life-savers,” she sobs. “My kids won’t be bullied because of me. I can once again be the hairdresser I was before the car crash. I-I can start dreaming again.”

“You look like a superhero now, mum!” Her kids squeak. “You are so cool!”

The two men hug each other for the great accomplishment they have achieved. Anakin sees the true meaning behind the product for the first time. It’s not only about showing off his talent, but also a symbol of restoration, hope and the possibility of rebuilding every beautiful thing in this world. If Obi-wan can continue provide help on social connections, he can do more, much more.

Not words can describe the emotion mixed with pure happiness and grief Obi-wan is feeling. Qui-gon always wanted to help people in his lifetime, and now he still has done it. Obi-wan looks at that prosthetic arm as if it is Qui-gon himself—who is now assisting Johanna in regaining confidence and the will for a new life with his iconic warm smile. _He never actually leaves, doesn’t he?_


	10. 10

Obi-wan hurriedly drives back from Anakin’s studio to pick up Q—he asked Carol to look after the dog while he was out. The man can already hear the jubilating barks by the slightly-opened entrance gate. 

In the garden, Q is playing with Carol’s Bichon—one of her four dogs. He rests his front paws on its back, wags his tail and friendly “chews” on almost half of its face.

The hostess stands akimbo as soon as she notices Obi-wan coming in. “I brought them to the farm with no leash today,” she says in embarrassment. “They all seemed to enjoy rolling in the muddy pond very much. And now...well. They are all Dalmatians.”

“It’s okay. I’ll bathe him.” Seeing a petite lady like Carol have to take care of her own dogs _and_ Q makes Obi-wan feels guilty. “I shouldn’t have troubled you.” He apologises.

Q does not come to welcome his master this time. Instead, he leaves his playmates, turns his back to the gate and doesn’t want to look at Obi-wan, even a glance. Carol can’t help giggling at the situation: “He’s not happy about you ignoring him these days.”

_It’s my fault... I didn’t spend enough time with him lately._ Obi-wan sighs silently, and guilt shrouds his mind. “Q, let’s go home.” Obi-wan walks towards and kneels beside the dog, gently and patiently persuading him.

Q gives no attention to Obi-wan, refuses to make any movement or sound.

“I’m sorry, I promise I will never leave you alone again.” The man strokes Q’s furry back, yet the dog still seems uninterested and does not wag his tail at all.

It leaves Obi-wan no choice but to lift Q with bare hands. He carries this massive dog all the way back home, and to the second floor. “For Pete’s sake, you are killing me.” The short-haired man whines as he collapses on the bathroom floor. He also has to use every last bit of his strength to move Q to his side instead of allowing him to continue sitting on his chest freely.

Q looks at Obi-wan innocently, almost like he’s wondering what’s his master going to do next.

_You caused the problem, so you need to solve it yourself._ The poor man pants painfully and takes out the phone with his hand still shaking. He dials and switches on the speaker.

“Yes?” It is Anakin who answers.

“It’s me. W-we need to talk.” Obi-wan gasps for breath.

“Alright...? What’s it about? And what’s going on there by the way?” _Something is not right,_ Anakin ponders.

The older man turns to Q. “It’s-it’s about my dog,” he sighs. “I can’t leave him at home alone.”

“ _You_ , Obi-wan Kenobi, have a dog? You never told me about _this_.” Surprised as the young man sounds, and he can’t help but start to imagine this serious man walking a dog. _Funny._

“Can I bring my dog the next time we meet?” Obi-wan asks.

Taking pets to the office could be a nice way to liven up the dull atmosphere. “Sure, why not.” The young man shrugs and agrees.

Obi-wan puts the phone next to Q: “Say that again, and please use a complete sentence.”

Anakin raises an eyebrow: “Fine... _you may bring your pet dog to my office._ ”

“Thanks. Later then.” Obi-wan hangs off immediately once he gets what he needs, leaving Anakin at the other end in total confusion. _What just happened?_

After putting the phone back to the pocket, Obi-wan spreads both hands in front of Q. “Are we cool now, my little _nemesis_?”

Q whimpers softly. The way he looks at Obi-wan changes back to usual. The man chuckles as Q licks him, then rubs the dog’s head roughly and turns on the tap. He gently brushes Q while throws a bath bomb into the lukewarm water. The scent of mint, lemongrass and green tea gradually fills the room. After he finishes stirring the bubbly bathwater, his fuzzy companion jumps in, paddles the water lightly with his long legs stretched out, then soaks himself in comfortably. _Yea. You surely know how to enjoy life_ , Obi-wan mutters and shakes his head.

The former agent takes off his shirt, prepares to use a sponge to apply some shampoo around Q’s muddy face. 

And here begins the epic battle of the bath.


	11. 11

When Anakin calls Obi-wan for another meeting, the older man brings Q to the studio.

“Anakin, this is Q,” Obi-wan introduces politely. “And Q, this is Anakin Skywalker.”

The dog wags its tail and looks at the slim young man with expectation, waiting to be petted.

Anakin smiles lightly. _No wonder Obi-wan can’t leave him alone, he is indeed cute._ As the young man reaches out his hand, something small and steel-cold appears beside his feet and leans forward – it’s a mechanical dog.

“Oh, it is something I’ve been tinkering with these days,” Anakin explains as Obi-wan raises an eyebrow with a puzzled look. “It’s designed to mimic animal behaviours. I wonder how far my programming can go. Besides, I believe Q needs company while we discuss our business matters.” He smiles.

The silver-grey mechanical being canters to Obi-wan, almost like a real dog. It emits the sound of the barking and rubs against the older man’s trousers stiffly. “There, there.” Obi-wan must give it a perfunctory touch on the head. After all, the young man made it out of good heart.

“You can call it Haru,” Anakin points out.

Q’s carefully touches his nose to Haru’s body that has no temperature, and then he slowly sniffs this creature thoroughly. It doesn’t smell like a dog at all, yet it sounds like one. It seems that Haru is beyond Q’s knowledge, which causes the beige-haired dog to withdraw his head, move backwards, lay his ears tightly back against the head, turn around and take a worrying glance at his master.

Anakin clears a play area and throws a couple of toys towards Q and Haru. “Enjoy your time with Haru, buddy. Your master and I have important business talk to attend.” He invites Obi-wan to the meeting room, and the latter gently gestures Q to stay where he is. _It’s okay. I will be back soon._

“We have been collaborating with experts for almost three years and a half, and during these days it is true that we have gained marvellous experience on ergonomics, bionics, neurobiology, engineering science, and even rehabilitation science. We have achieved our goal in every stage despite how many difficulties we have conquered and endured, from prototype design to successfully developing our first batch of finished products,” Anakin says, pushing his glasses on. “Nevertheless, we still have one challenge lying in front of us, and that is the most crucial and unavoidable: budget cost.” 

Obi-wan chooses to listen quietly in today’s routine meeting first since he is still not sure if he can really help Anakin or not. Moreover, although he had agreed before, he personally does not really like to visit a studio that smells like metal and fuel, and the reason that he is sitting here now is simply because of Qui-gon. _He will ask me to help Anakin._ The older man sighs, fixing his eyes on those prosthetic arm sketches pinned on the whiteboards.

Anakin, on the other hand, peeks at Obi-wan from time to time, wondering when this former agent is going to talk. _Say something,_ the young man mutters under his breath.

“As you all can see, this is the average annual wage in our area.” Accountant Linda points to the screen. “Based on our investigation, 65% of our target customers do not even meet the median. The retail price, however, is twice that.” Her infrared pen stops under the number shown on the chart.

Another colleague adds: “It means most of our target customers have to use up two years of their total income – by total, I mean without eating or any social activities, to purchase our product which provides nothing else but so-called convenience. That’s insane. “

Their young boss scratches his curly hair and casts another glimpse at the older man who seems completely enjoy being silent in the dark corner.

“You are right. According to 90% of our interviewees who are ‘very’ interested in, only 33% of them consider buying,” the next person says, sighing. “It’s a shocking and depressing truth.” He clings to the chair, fingers tapping the table.

“What’s the meaning of our effort if no one can afford the product?” The last one asks, which pushes the discussion into the maw of uncomfortable silence. These passionate young people only wanted to produce the ultimate product, and in fact they did. But the reality has knocked them hard enough to realise that they have created a luxury item that few people can purchase, which leads them to a dead-end.

Anakin stares at Obi-wan, hoping this man can open his precious mouth _right now._ Luckily, the older man does not disappoint him this time. “I think I may have a way,” Obi-wan speaks as one of his hands holds the cheek. He has listened long enough to figure out the problem and to think of the methods to solve them. Most importantly, the experienced former agent has selected a perfect moment to instill his opinion – strike when the “enemy” is the weakest.

The entire staff is now shifting their concentration onto this special guest. “Thanks to my previous job, I still have my connections here and there. I can bring up investments to expand the sales, thus to halve the unit price.” Obi-wan’s statement brings both sounds of amazement and doubts as expected.

_Yes, finally._ Anakin smiles in satisfaction, leans forwards and snaps: “If you can do that, I promise we will optimise our supply chain to lower the budget as much as possible.” Obi-wan turns his head to the young man and gives him a slight nod. A nod without any emotion, but still enough to make Anakin grins.

After the meeting, Obi-wan is surprised to find out Q follows Haru tightly, and he is trying to play every single game with that machine. _Perhaps they can be good friends_ , Obi-wan thinks and does not notice the vigilance in Q’s eyes at all.


	12. 12

Obi-wan, together with Anakin and Q, are on the move determined to find cooperation partners. Being refused and ignored multiple times are all predictable at the start, so nothing will stop them.

Gradually, through Obi-wan’s stable and trustworthy connections, they have won support from all aspects such as the national science foundation and some other international medical foundations. Sponsors of the baseball team that he used to work for agree to donate if Anakin is willing to share a small sum of commission from the sales. Hundreds of orders are signed by various hospitals, and their next goal is to convince DVA to use their product for disabled veterans.

Q has adapted to the new life pace without problem as long as Obi-wan is with him. Wherever Obi-wan goes, he simply follows. When the two men sit down for a quick discussion, a snack or a cup of coffee, Q lays his head on Obi-wan’s lap, so his master can stroke his smooth fur whenever the stress hits. Q’s existence gives Obi-wan warmth and absolute relief.

During these days, it seems that Anakin’s sincerity, passion, dedication and persistence have slowly affected Obi-wan. These positive traits from this entrepreneur make the older man glad to walk out of the comfort zone to help to achieve a higher goal almost gratuitously.

Anakin has also changed from earnest and stiff, to humorous and caring, and those feel familiar yet completely different at the same time. Obi-wan is happy to see this young man becoming more and more like a leader, yet Anakin seems to have some other ideas. He wants more from Obi-wan other than helping him with the business.

One day, Anakin’s long fingers trace upon the older man’s lap, and the latter rests his hand out of instinct – and then he realises that it is not Q. Part of him desperately wants to stop Anakin from continuing, and part of him can’t help but hold the young man’s hand because he has no idea how to resist Anakin’s charming look and dominant manner. Obi-wan’s heart shivers.

“Hm. I think I’ve fallen in love with you,” Anakin says, lowering his head and studying the older man who is a little shorter than him. The other hand of his caresses over Obi-wan’s light wrinkles around his eyes and the mole on his cheek. Eventually, it stops at the older man’s cleft chin, which is much like Anakin’s. The young man then bends over and kisses him profoundly and thoroughly to mark his desire and possession. Obi-wan closes his eyes—his chest filled with uncertainty and does not accept or deny such action. He vaguely moans until Anakin breaks the kiss with a confident smile.

At this moment, Q trots towards Obi-wan and sits down in front of him with adorable puppy eyes. The older man, though, finally has an excuse to turn his attention away from Anakin. He caresses Q’s forehead and chin, loses himself in silence. 

While Anakin and his team come to the forefront at various expos and become quite the star in the technology-related news, the shadow of oligarchy envelops upon the studio in stealth.

Several medical supply companies start to send their representatives to negotiate M&A with preferential conditions competitively. Even so, it is not Anakin’s wish to sell the studio so easily or to transfer the patent so that he must give up the whole project. On second thought, the ambitious young man decides to turn down their offers.

As soon as the decision is made, investments begin to divest unexpectedly, and upstream suppliers start to either raise the price or simply tell the studio that the essential components are out of stock. Obi-wan and Anakin feel that something might not be right as if someone wants to vanquish the tiny studio like a sinister wyrm which about to hunt and devour. They both highly suspect it is someone from inside that causes the disclosure of the confidential information, but they have no proof. Shortly, they overhear the news about another indie studio being led to calamity. Rumours said the competitors of that studio could be responsible. The danger creeps up on both men, meddling with their minds with fear and concern.

Obi-wan immediately asks for better security services and stricter personnel inspection, along with holding multiple conferences to ask the team to be as vigilant as possible. He keeps his phone on twenty-four seven to prevent any emergency.

Anakin chooses to live in the studio to protect the team he loves. He doesn’t want the fire of suspicion to smoulder under their hearts; he himself, however, searches for any possible loopholes like a crazy person. _Nothing is wrong, everything and everyone acts exactly the same as they were before._

As Obi-wan turns to Q for some comforts, he starts to notice his companion’s unusual behaviours. 

There have been a couple of times that Q slapped Haru heavily to the floor. The sturdy mechanical dog stood up unscratched and instantly got beaten again. Obi-wan has scolded Q about the issue, but the composed dog seemed not to listen to him at all. He is not pissed, or being naughty, or even just bullying Haru. _There must be something that Q wants to tell us, there must be something he wants to warn us._ Obi-wan clenches his teeth.

Anakin takes off the safety glasses, throws out one of the parts onto the wall furiously with a huge noise and hits the working table with both fists. 

Haru’s disassembled parts are all over the table. Among them, Anakin has found out a pile of complete micro-gadgets for spying: wiretapping equipment, a hidden camera, recording devices and a memory reader with different ports. He has no idea about who, when or how. Anger is like a wet sponge that stuck in the young man’s throat, and it becomes denser and denser to prevent him from breathing smoothly.

_Q was not just playing with Haru; he was trying to keep this damn spy away from the working area._ Obi-wan’s loyal companion did not trust this machine from the very beginning.

“I’m going to rip those bastards apart!” Anakin suddenly roars with a cruel and gloomy look, which startles Obi-wan a little bit. He has never seen the young man act like that – like a deadly thunderstorm merged with fire.

“Hey, we still have time to analyse what it has stolen from us,” Obi-wan says, resting his hand on Anakin’s shoulder and letting the young man turn to him. “Luckily it hasn’t hijacked any of our crucial computers yet, right?” he soothes.

As the hero of the team, Q does not ask for rewards. He lays on the floor and raises his head, with bright round eyes looking at the gradually pacified young man with a kind and innocent look.

**Author's Note:**

> Translating is so fun! x)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Something More](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25563943) by [Kurtssingh (orphan_account)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Kurtssingh)




End file.
